Japan: Huge Cocaine Haul Washes Up On Beach

In what is turning out to be Japan's biggest-ever drugs' haul, two more backpacks of cocaine have washed up on the shores of Japan.

The bags were found following the discovery on Thursday of four bags on beaches south of Tokyo by an elderly local resident.

The value of the drugs has been put at around $72m (£44.5m), making it the biggest-ever haul of the drug in Japan.

The drugs are worth around £44.5m. Pic: FNN-News.com

The first bags were said to have been found fitted with a buoy and illuminated markers.

Reports suggest the drugs were part of a smugglers' haul but a police spokesman declined to comment.

In all, there were 120 kilos (265 pounds) of plastic-wrapped blocks of cocaine inside the bags.

Japanese police seized just 6.6 kilos of cocaine last year, down from 28.7 kilogrammes in 2011, according to the National Police Agency.

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Murdered Massachusetts Teacher 'Was Raped'

A 14-year-old student in Massachusetts accused of killing his teacher has now also been charged with raping her.

Philip Chism has been held since shortly after the October 22 killing of Colleen Ritzer, a maths teacher popular among students and colleagues at the Danvers High School.

Chism allegedly murdered the 24-year-old in the school and then dumped her body in the woods nearby, where it was later found.

He has already been indicted on charges of murder. Now authorities have added charges of aggravated sexual assault and armed robbery.

Authorities say he sexually assaulted Ms Ritzer with an object before killing and robbing her.

"The indictments returned today detail horrific and unspeakable acts," Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said.

More details could be made public later.

Students mourned the popular Ms Ritzer at a vigil hours after her death

According to the indictments, Chism, armed with a box cutter, stole Ms Ritzer's underwear, credit cards and iPhone.

Chism has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.

Ms Ritzer's family said in a statement that they continue to mourn and asked for privacy.

"We are devastated and heartbroken by the details of the horrific circumstances surrounding the death of our beautiful daughter and sister, Colleen," the statement said.

Classmates said Ms Ritzer had asked Chism to stay after school on the day that she was killed but a motive remains unclear.

Chism had moved to Massachusetts from Tennessee before the start of the school year and played on the school's junior varsity soccer team.

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Arctic Oil Protest Brits Freed In Russia

Five of the Britons arrested by Russian authorities during a Greenpeace protest against Arctic oil drilling have been released from detention in St Petersburg.

Activists Iain Rogers, Frank Hewetson, Alexandra Harris and Anthony Perrett, and journalist Kieron Bryan are the first of six Britons to be freed on bail. Three Russian nationals were freed on Monday.

Thirty people, including the six Britons aboard the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, were detained after the protest in September.

Anthony Perrett following his release

The sixth Briton, Philip Ball, has been granted bail, but has yet to be freed.

Speaking after his release, Mr Bryan told Sky News it felt "very, very good" to be free.

Frank Hewetson

"It's good to be outside and see the sky for the first time for a while," he said.

"To everyone who's supported me and the rest of the group: Keep fighting, we're not free yet, this is first step. It's a glimmer of justice, but it's not finished."

He said being imprisoned had been "tough" and that he was looking forward to "a long shower", "never doing another Sudoku puzzle again" and "an improved diet".

Mr Rogers told Sky News: "It's lovely (to be out). It's been pretty traumatic, but it's good for the campaign.

"I think Gazprom have given us the ideal opportunity and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for publicising our campaign to stop drilling in the Arctic so much."

Speaking immediately after his release, Mr Hewetson told Sky News: "It feels very good to be out. It's been a long time, two months.

Iain Rogers at a previous court hearing

"The campaign's not over. There are many oil companies that are going to be drilling in the Arctic, not only in Russia. In Greenland, America and Canada. The fight continues."

Asked if he would do it again, he said: "That depends."

All 30 of the accused were initially charged with piracy but are now accused of hooliganism, which carries a shorter maximum jail term of seven years.

Ms Harris revealed she was kept in a cell on her own after being taken to a prison in Murmansk.

"For the first week it was really harsh. It was nerve-wracking," she said immediately after being released.

"I was in a cell on my own. You do get used to it, but it was tough."

All those released have had their passports returned to them, but none have visas and it is unclear if they will be allowed to leave the country.

Alexandra Harris after learning her bail application had been successful

A UN-mandated tribunal has ordered Russia to immediately release the Greenpeace ship and its crew in return for a £5m bond.

Russia subsequently released a statement insisting the international maritime tribunal had no jurisdiction over the case.

Greenpeace on Thursday unveiled giant portraits of those arrested - the "Arctic 30" - outside the London offices of oil giant Shell.

The protest group said it was drawing attention to Shell and its Russian partner Gazprom's planned joint venture to drill for oil in the Arctic.

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said: "Shell and Gazprom are not equipped to drill in the Arctic without causing catastrophic damage to the unique ecosystem.

"But what makes their Arctic plans so blindly stupid is that they're only able to drill there because of the huge loss of Arctic sea ice from climate change."

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Police: 'Slave' Case Victim Was Beaten

Police say at least one of the three women allegedly held in a London home as slaves for 30 years was beaten while in captivity.

Officers arrested two people after three women aged between 30 and 69 were rescued from a house in Lambeth, south London, following a probe sparked by a Sky News report.

And detectives say the pair, a man and a woman both aged 67, are also being questioned on immigration charges. They said they were not looking for any more suspects or victims.

Scotland Yard also said the two accused were previously arrested in the 1970s, but did not reveal the nature of those arrests.

Police, who have bailed the pair until January pending further enquiries, said they expected the investigation to take a "considerable" amount of time.

The three alleged victims are a 69-year-old Malaysian woman, a 57-year-old Irish woman and a 30-year-old Briton - who police say may have been held captive for her entire life.

The house in question is at an address in Lambeth

The case came to light after one of the three told a charity she had been held against her will in a house in London for more than 30 years.

Police said the two suspects have been in the country for "many years", and said the case "so far is unique to us".

It was described as a "complicated and disturbing picture of emotional control over many years".

The women were rescued from thea house in Lambeth last month after one of them saw Aneeta Prem, founder of the Freedom Charity, being interviewed on Sky News and contacted her charity for help.

Detective Inspector Kevin Hyland said the whole of the human trafficking unit - 37 officers - were working on this investigation.

Specially-trained officers are working with the women to try to understand their lives over the last 30 years or more, he said.

Mr Hyland said the women are in the care of a specialist non-governmental organisation.

"Whilst we do not believe that they have been subjected to sexual abuse, we know that there has been physical abuse, described as beatings," he said.

Commander Steve Rodhouse said police are "unpicking a story that spans at least 30 years of these women's lives".

He said that to the outside world they may have appeared to have been a "normal family".

"This does mean that over the course of many decades the people at the heart of this investigation, and the victims, would probably have come into contact with public services, including our own," he said.

"That's something we need to examine fully. What I can say with some certainty is that the two suspects in this case were arrested by the Metropolitan Police in the 1970s, some considerable time ago."

Mr Rodhouse said police do not believe the case falls into the category of sexual exploitation or what is traditionally referred to as human trafficking.

"It is not as brutally obvious as women being physically restrained inside an address and not being allowed to leave," he said.

He said that to label the investigation as domestic servitude or forced labour is "far too simplistic".

Former Olympics minister Dame Tessa Jowell, who represents Dulwich and West Norwood, has been briefed by Scotland Yard detectives and Lambeth borough commanders about the case.

She said: "This is a hugely complex case which will be understood through the information provided by the three women, who are now in a safe place, being debriefed by people skilled to deal with these highly traumatised individuals."

Leader of Lambeth Council, Cllr Lib Peck said: "Everyone has been horrified and shocked by the reports of three women allegedly being held against their will in Lambeth.

"It is vital that the police conduct a thorough investigation into these extremely complex and serious allegations and that the women receive support following their appalling ordeal." 

The Prime Minister has described the case as "utterly appalling". 

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King Warned Of Political Push For Co-op Deal

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

The Governor of the Bank of England warned one of the bidders for more than 630 Lloyds Banking Group branches that its offer would fail because of "a political desire" to see a rival proposal from the Co-operative Group succeed.

Sky News can reveal that Lord King, who stepped down as Governor in June, told Lord Levene, the chairman of NBNK Investments, that the Co-op's bid had won political favour in Whitehall that would be difficult to overturn.

The disclosure of Lord King's remarks threatens to provide a 'smoking gun' for those who have insisted that there was explicit political interference in the £1.5bn branches auction as ministers sought to promote the mutual ownership model in the banking sector.

George Osborne, the Chancellor, and Lloyds directors including Sir Win Bischoff, its chairman, have consistently denied any attempt by ministers to influence the outcome of the auction.

The intervention of Lord King provides the latest twist after an extraordinary week in which a series of allegations have been made about the private life and professional competence of Paul Flowers, the Co-op Bank's former chairman.

The meeting between the then Sir Mervyn King and Lord Levene is understood to have taken place in July last year, just before Lloyds announced a firm intention to sell the branch network to the Co-op on July 19, 2012.

"He [Lord King] said that there was a political desire to see the Co-op acquire the branches," said a Bank of England insider familiar with the discussion.

News of the meeting, which is said to have been brief and focused on the Lloyds auction, provides the most powerful evidence so far of a belief within the most senior echelons of the City that Coalition ministers had a direct preference for the Co-op to expand by buying the branches.

Lord Levene and the Bank of England both declined to comment on last year's meeting.

It is not clear whether Lord King referred to individual politicians during the meeting with Lord Levene but his remark could nevertheless embarrass Mr Osborne, who publicly enthused about the Co-op Bank's expansion and who announced on Friday the terms of an independent inquiry into the mutual's troubles.

Bank of England insiders said the former Governor had harboured reservations about the Co-op's ability to undertake such a transformational deal although it is unclear whether such doubts were expressed during his conversation with the NBNK chairman or the extent to which they were then raised with banking regulators.

The Treasury said on Friday that the decision about the sale of the branches had been a matter for the boards of the companies and the relevant regulators.

The takeover of the 'Project Verde' network of 631 branches would have trebled the Co-op Bank's size and created a bank with nearly 8 million customers and a balance sheet of more than £30bn.

The Co-op originally won preferred bidder status from Lloyds on December 14, 2011. However, after discussions between the two parties stalled, Lloyds then announced on May 1, 2012 that it was no longer in talks with the Co-op on an exclusive basis and would consider other bids.

NBNK then assembled an improved offer but again lost out to the Co-op in July last year.

The Treasury is reported to have intervened in Brussels to help smooth a path for the Co-op to gain preferential treatment in relation to its capital position, with one aide to Mr Osborne telling the Financial Times this week: "We are totally unashamed in trying to help a British institution [the Co-op] and the British economy."

The decision to sell the Verde branches to the Co-op despite concerns about the mutual's ability to complete the deal has inflamed political tensions this week, with Labour's close links with the Co-operative Bank highlighted by Conservatives.

In turn, senior Labour figures have accused ministers of failing to undertake sufficient due diligence on the Co-op Bank to ensure that it was in a sufficiently sound financial position to take on the Lloyds branches.

The Co-op has now been forced to seek a £1.5bn rescue deal for its banking arm, which is reliant on a £125m capital injection from a group of hedge funds. Investors will vote on the proposed deal during the next two weeks.

NBNK has repeatedly argued both that it offered a better financial deal to Lloyds than the Co-op and greater assurances that it would be able to execute an agreement.

In evidence provided to the Treasury Select Committee earlier this year, the acquisition vehicle also warned Lloyds that it believed the Co-op was in a worse financial position than had been publicly acknowledged and that the mutual would be forced to withdraw.

Senior City sources now believe that one of the motivations for favouring a Co-op deal with Lloyds was that the well-capitalised Verde network would help to ease the mutual's difficulties over IT systems, management inexperience and doubts about the robustness of its capital position.

The Verde branches are now being carved out of Lloyds under the TSB brand, with a stock market flotation expected to take place next year.

Sky News revealed last week that the former boss of RSA Insurance, Andy Haste, is being lined up to chair the new TSB public company.

In an interview with Sky News earlier on Friday, Lord Levene said NBNK had been told by its advisers that a bid by the Co-op was "not viable".

"What I did was… [to] take that report and give it to the chairman of Lloyds Bank who I knew very well and say to him, 'Look…I really think before you press the button on this you ought to read this report for yourself because I think you will see from this that the Co-op is not going to be the answer for you. Subsequently the Chairman… denied that he had ever seen that piece of paper."

Lloyds declined to comment.

A series of regulatory probes now awaits the Co-op and some of its former directors, with the FCA and PRA saying separately on Friday that they were already undertaking work to establish whether they should launch formal enforcement investigations.

A separate probe commissioned by the Treasury and undertaken by an as-yet unidentified figure from the world of banking or law will also take place.

In a statement on Friday afternoon, it said its inquiry would "cover the actions of relevant authorities (regulators and government) and the institution itself, including prudential issues, governance (including the appointment of senior staff) and acquisitions".

The Treasury's inquiry will not begin until after any PRA and FCA enforcement action has been concluded.

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Co-op Bank: Treasury Investigation Launched

Chancellor George Osborne has announced plans for an independent inquiry into the Co-operative Bank's near downfall, as its former chairman is held by police.

The review uses new powers under the Financial Services Act and follows calls from Prime Minister David Cameron for an inquiry into the bank's ailing finances and the decision to appoint Paul Flowers as chairman.

It will add to an investigation being considered by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), following the regulators' talks with Bank of England governor Mark Carney on Friday.

Mr Osborne announced the review

The Co-op faces a rescue which will see 50 branches close and investors including US hedge funds take control of 70% of the business.

The Treasury-led inquiry will look into mistakes made in the run-up to the Co-op Bank's woes and the £1.5bn black hole in its finances, dating back to at least 2008.

The Treasury said it will investigate actions of the regulators and government in relation to the issues at the bank.

It will cover the Co-op's takeover of Britannia Building Society at the height of the banking crisis, as well as appointment procedures in light of the scandal surrounding Mr Flowers.

Mr Flowers, who stepped down as the bank's chairman in June, was arrested by West Yorkshire Police on Thursday night.

The 63-year-old Methodist minister has been held in connection with an "an ongoing drug supply investigation", police said.

Mr Flowers has been questioned all day by police, and has yet to be released.

His solicitor Andy Hollas said questioning had finished for the day.

But Mr Hollas said inquiries were ongoing and a decision about whether Mr Flowers will be bailed is expected later.

Mr Flowers stepped down as Co-op chairman in June

Mr Flowers was suspended by both the church and the Labour Party following newspaper allegations that he bought and used illegal drugs.

The Treasury's inquiry will not start until the outcome of criminal investigations into Mr Flowers or it is clear proceedings will not be prejudiced.

As with the recent review into Royal Bank of Scotland, the probe will be independently chaired, which is seen as vital by the Treasury Select Committee because the role of the regulators will also come under scrutiny.

The FCA said it "fully agrees" the investigation should be led by an independent person.

The Co-op is already at the centre of a barrage of investigations, with the group being grilled by MPs on the Treasury Select Committee into the bank's failed Project Verde bid for 632 Lloyds Banking Group branches.

Sky News has learned that the former Bank of England governor, Lord King, warned of a "political desire" for the Co-op to buy the branches.

It also emerged earlier that the Co-op is seeking to recover £31,000 paid to Mr Flowers since he quit his £132,000-a-year post in June.

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Wife Slams 'Disgraceful' £20m Divorce Pay-Out

The ex-wife of tycoon Scot Young has labelled her £20m divorce settlement "disgraceful", maintaining her estranged husband is worth billions.

But a High Court judge dismissed "wild" claims that he was hiding away hundreds of millions of pounds and ruled Mr Young is now worth just £40m.

In a statement, Michelle Young called her husband a "powerful maniac".

"It's disgraceful," she said. "I stand by what I said. He's worth billions."

Mr Young, 51, and his wife, who is 49, fought a bitter six-year legal battle in a case that saw retail billionaire Sir Philip Green give evidence.

The court heard claims that the couple spent £1m a year on restaurants and had "vast estates" as Mrs Young argued for a £300m settlement and a £25m house in London.

Mr Young claims he is now penniless and has debts of £28m.

In January, Mr Justice Moor imposed a six-month prison term on Mr Young after he failed to provide financial information to his wife in the run up to the trial.

The Youngs, who live in London and have two daughters, separated in 2006 after starting a relationship in 1989.

The court was told the couple enjoyed a "luxury marriage".

Mrs Young said she had been given a £1m wedding ring, that her husband would spent £5,000 a time at restaurants and once owned a boat worth millions.

She said their vast wealth justified a £300m settlement and that she had spent £1.6m fighting the case - which has dragged on for more than six years and 65 hearings.

But, in his judgement, Mr Justice Moor said Mrs Young had given honest but unreliable evidence.

"Extremely serious allegations have been bandied around like confetti. Some of these allegations can only be described as 'wild'," he said.

Mr Young's claims about his current wealth also had "serious evidential difficulties" admitted the judge, who criticised the behaviour of both parties.

He warned Mr Young that his £20m divorce debt would "exist for all time" and was not something he could run away from.

Top Shop owner Sir Philip, a friend of Mr Young's, also gave evidence to the case and said he had lent Mr Young £80,000 to help him with rent and housing costs.

"He confirmed that these were loans," said the judge, "made as a favour to the husband, which will be repaid if the husband is ever able to do so."

Mrs Young claimed her husband had faked his financial meltdown because he knew their marriage was on the rocks.

Speaking after the decision, Mrs Young said: "Many people will be watching this and think it's a fortune but at the moment all this order is is a piece of paper.

"This isn't over. Not for me. Not for my two daughters and not for Mr Young."

Asked about his wife's reaction to the ruling, Mr Young said: "Disgraceful? That was my wife's quote was it? No comment."

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Latvia Supermarket Collapse: 47 Killed

Rescue teams are searching among the rubble of a Latvian supermarket which collapsed and killed at least 47 people.

Fire trucks and ambulances remain at the Maxima shopping centre in the capital Riga, and rescue workers are using mechanical cutters and cranes to clear debris from the single-storey building.

Among the dead are three firefighters.

The roof of the supermarket collapsed at around 6pm on Thursday evening when the store was busy with shoppers on their way home from work.

Firefighters were injured by a second collapse shortly after their arrival on the scene.

People gathered to await news of the rescue operation

It is unclear how many people remain trapped in the ruined store but Latvian television has said it could be as many as 40.

"I don't know what happened to the cashiers - if you were sitting down, there is no way you could have got out in time," a witness named Jana told Latvia's LNT television.

The cause of the collapse has not been confirmed but police said a winter garden, involving large amounts of soil, was being built on the roof.

Soil, grass and parts of a new walkway can be seen dangling from the edges of the collapsed rooftop.

Rescuers have been periodically silencing their equipment and asking relatives to call their loved ones so anyone trapped can be pinpointed.

Rescue teams have been working slowly, fearing a further collapse

Work is continuing slowly, as remaining sections of the roof are unstable and rescuers believe another collapse could occur.

"In the past hours no survivors have been found," said rescue service spokeswoman Viktorija Sembele on Friday morning.

Thirty eight people were injured in the collapse, according to latest police figures, and sniffer dogs are helping in the search.

More than 60 soldiers are also involved, the army said.

Visiting the scene, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis said police had launched a criminal investigation into the cause of the incident.

Emergency services worked through the night but lost three of their own

Council official Juris Radzevics confirmed that the roof of the supermarket, built in 2011, was in the process of being turned into a green area.

"The project was submitted in accordance with all regulations but of course we will be looking at whether materials and works were carried out to the proper standards," Mr Radzevics told Latvian television.

Three days of mourning, starting on Saturday, have been announced as the country marks its worst accident since regaining independence in 1991.

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Intern Death: Fatigue May Have Triggered Fit

A 21-year-old intern died of an epileptic fit that may have been triggered by fatigue after working "exceptional" hours at a top investment bank, an inquest has heard.

Moritz Erhardt's body was found in a shower at his temporary accommodation after he'd been working through the night several times in the days before.

The German student was a week from completing a coveted placement at Bank of America Merrill Lynch's London offices, and was due to be offered a job at the bank.

An inquest at Poplar Coroner's Court in east London heard that Mr Erhardt was taking medication for epilepsy, but had not told anyone at the bank about his condition.

Mr Erhardt's death sparked calls to overhaul the culture of long hours in the City of London and prompted Bank of America Merrill Lynch to launch a review.

Recording a verdict of natural causes, coroner Mary Hassell told the court: "One of the triggers for epilepsy is exhaustion and it may be that because Moritz had been working so hard his fatigue was a trigger for the seizure that killed him.

The bank has launched a review after Moritz Erhardt's death

"But that's only a possibility and I don't want his family to go away with the thought that it was something that Moritz did that caused his death.

"He was a young man living life to the full and he was clearly enjoying his time in London and, whilst it's possible that fatigue brought about the fatal seizure, it is also possible that it just happened. And it is something that does just happen."

The court head Mr Erhardt never complained about his working hours or feeling unwell, and even on the day before he was found dead, appeared to be fine.

Mr Erhardt's father, Dr Hans-Georg Dieterle, described his son as sporty and "full of life" but said from the start of 2010 he had suffered one to two epileptic fits a year, although these were not stopping him from living a normal life.

Dr Dieterle said although his son did not complain to his parents about his working hours they noticed from the time his emails were sent - sometimes at 5am or 6am - that he had worked through the night.

"He never complained but especially my wife noticed in the last week that he just didn't get enough sleep," Dr Dieterle told the court.

Juergen Schroeder, Mr Erhardt's development officer at Merrill Lynch, described him as "very motivated, very confident", but also "very humble, very down-to-earth".

He said: "Colleagues at the bank thought very highly of him and did enjoy working with him."

Describing him as "very proactive", he said: "He would not just sit still and wait for the work to come to him. He would be going round various teams and introducing himself, especially at the beginning."

He told the inquest it was difficult to know exactly what hours the student was working, and admitted that most interns worked long hours.

He said: "I think interns in general do work long hours and sometimes past midnight.

"I would say it's not only the case at Bank of America Merrill Lynch - it's the case at most banks in London, it's the case in Germany, it's the case in, I think, most parts of the world as well."

Asked by the coroner about how Mr Erhardt coped with his work, he said: "I was not very concerned about Moritz and the way he coped with his work.

"He seems, from the feedback I got, very efficient and very structured, and also relaxed, very relaxed.

"He was not the type of person who would show any signs of stress."

In a statement, a Bank of America Merrill Lynch spokesman said: "Moritz Erhardt's death was a tragedy that affected and saddened everyone in our company and especially those who had the privilege to spend time with him.

"He was an exceptional student and it was our intention to offer Moritz Erhardt a full-time position with us on graduation.

"As we have previously announced, a senior working group has been convened to review the work environment for our junior employees."

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Iran Nuclear Talks: Lavrov Arrives In Geneva

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in Geneva as world powers push to clinch a historic deal over Iran's nuclear programme.

Mr Lavrov joined the talks as negotiators said there had been some progress on the third day of meetings.

The arrival of Russia's foreign minister has heightened speculation that US Secretary of State John Kerry might also attend the talks.

Western diplomats told Reuters Mr Kerry is "tentatively planning" to travel to Geneva but has not confirmed his plans and could still pull out.

London and Paris said there were no plans at present for British and French counterparts William Hague and Laurent Fabius to participate.

This third meeting since President Hassan Rouhani's election in June is seen as the biggest hope in years to resolve the decade-old standoff over Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran's Foreign Minister said talks were 'progressing well' on Friday

Failure might mean Iran resuming the expansion of its atomic activities, while Washington and others could toughen already painful sanctions and the possibility of Israeli military action would draw nearer.

Tehran suggested there had been an improvement after an hour-long meeting on Friday between Zarif and the powers' chief negotiator Catherine Ashton.

Mr Zarif said on Facebook: "The negotiations are progressing well but we still have differences of opinion over a limited number of issues."

"God willing we will reach a result," he told Iranian media.

Baroness Ashton's spokesman said that the meeting was "useful", without giving details.

There was speculation that John Kerry could follow Sergei Lavrov to Geneva

At the last gathering, foreign ministers including Mr Kerry flew to Geneva but three days of intense talks failed and they went home empty-handed.

Both sides say they want a deal but getting an accord palatable to hardliners in the United States, Iran and Israel has proved difficult.

According to a draft proposal hammered out on November 9, the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia, and Germany - the so-called P5+1 nations - want Iran to freeze key parts of its nuclear programme for six months.

In return Iran would get minor and, Western officials insist, "reversible" sanctions relief, including unlocking several billion dollars in oil revenues and easing trade restrictions on precious metals and aircraft parts.

This hoped-for "first phase" deal would build trust and ease tensions while negotiators push on for a final accord that ends once and for all fears that Tehran will get an atomic bomb.

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Chester Train Crashes Into Buffers At Station

A train has derailed and smashed into the buffers at Chester railway station, leaving one man in hospital with back injuries.

Emergency services were called to the station shortly after midday following reports that the five-carriage train had partially derailed.

Among the passengers was Jake Pickering, who wrote on his Twitter page: "The @VirginTrains train I was on from London has just crashed at Chester station. I believe everyone is okay."

A Virgin Trains spokeswoman said: "We can confirm an incident took place earlier today at Chester Station.

"The incident took place at approximately 12.10pm and the train involved was the 10.10am Virgin Trains service from London Euston to Chester. No other train was involved.

"The emergency services have been called, but at this stage it is believed that there are no serious injuries."

A statement from British Transport Police said: "All coaches of the five-car train have remained upright.

"One man has been taken to a local hospital by North West Ambulance Service, with reported injuries to his back."

The statement said the crash was "being investigated to establish the full circumstances surrounding the derailment".

"The Office of Rail Regulation and Rail Accident Investigation Branch have been informed," it added.

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Greenpeace Protest: Britons Released On Bail

Three Britons have been freed on bail after they were arrested following attempts by Greenpeace to occupy an oil platform in the Arctic.

Activist Alexandra Harris was the first to be given the news at a court in St Petersburg after spending two months in custody following the protest at the Prirazlomnaya platform in September.

Journalist Kieron Bryan was released about an hour later and a second British activist Anthony Perrett was told he could go free just before 3.30pm UK time.

Journalist Kieron Bryan shows his relief at the news

It is not immediately clear what will happen next, but it is understood that it is unlikely any of the group will be allowed to leave Russia.

All still face charges relating to the initial protest, during which the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise engaged in a non-violent attempt to disrupt Arctic drilling activities by a Russian oil company.

Mr Perrett was given the news as the first of the so-called Arctic 30 - 28 activists and two journalists who were arrested by Russia two months ago - walked free from jail.

British activist Iain Rogers was denied bail at a hearing in October

As she heard the news, Ms Harris skipped for joy and said: "This has been the hardest experience of my life. I'm really happy. It's not over yet but there's light at the end of the tunnel.

"It's nice the Russians made the right decision. I love my parents and look forward to speaking to them soon."

Ms Harris' father Chris said: "We're incredibly proud of how she has conducted herself throughout this ordeal.

Russian special forces arrested the protesters at gunpoint in September

"I can see when she came into court she was smiling and happy as she'd heard the news the others had been granted bail, but as the hearing progressed she became emotional.

"I think she'll make her own mind up what she does in life. She's always been passionate about the Arctic and we're proud of her.

After his release Mr Bryan said: "This has been really difficult and it has been made a lot easier hearing how much support I have in the UK. To my family, 'I love you and I hope to see you soon'."

The ship's Captain, Pete Willcox, was also freed on bail

Speaking of his detention, he said: "I had a couple of phone calls with my girlfriend and that's it. It's the worst possible isolation.

"The conditions were terrible in Murmansk. I think we're very lucky in the UK. Things were better in St Petersburg because they decorated my cell and made it look nice."

Mr Bryan said the moment of his arrest when Russian special forces abseiled onto the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise was like something out of a Hollywood movie.

Anthony Perrett before he learned that his bail application was successful

"They didn't declare who they were they just pointed their guns at us and took over the ship. I had no idea it was going to carry on like this. If I knew that was the beginning of this nightmare I would have behaved differently."

The group were initially charged with piracy but are now accused of hooliganism, which carries a maximum jail term of seven years.

Greenpeace spokeswoman Birgitte Lesanner said she was "proud" of the protesters, including six Britons, and said their resilience had been "amazing".

Earlier, as she was led into the courtroom by police, Ms Harris told supporters she felt "trapped inside a political game".

Brazilian Greenpeace activist Anna Paula as she is freed from jail on bail

Speaking from inside a metal cage, she told Sky News correspondent Katie Stallard: "I will not dishonour Greenpeace or my country by trying to flee Russia or the investigation."

Ms Harris, whose bail was set at two million rubles (£38,098), said she was nervous and that the past two months had been "horrible".

"When I talk about the last two months, it's hard not to get emotional," she said.

"The conditions (in prison) at first were awful and the food was disgusting.

"They're better now but it's still prison. I'm still trapped, I can't speak to anyone (and I'm) cut off from the world. It's no better."

Ms Harris' father said her family were overjoyed at news of her release

All 30 people aboard the Arctic Sunrise were detained after the protest in September. Six of them were British.

A fourth Briton, Iain Rogers, the Arctic Sunrise engineer, was refused bail at a hearing in October. Australian activist Colin Russell was also denied bail at an earlier hearing.

Russian courts have granted bail this week to a total of 17 of the detainees and hearings are scheduled for another 12.

Brazilian Ana Paula Alminhana Maciel was the first to leave detention, walking out of a St Petersburg pre-trial jail holding a sign reading "Save The Arctic."

The others who have been granted bail are expected to be freed from jail over the next two or three days.

:: Watch Sky News for live coverage of the hearing.

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Algeria's World Cup Celebrations Turn Deadly

At least 12 people have been killed and 240 injured as Algerians celebrated the national football team securing a place in the 2014 World Cup.

The casualties came during nationwide festivities in the wake of Algeria's 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso, which will take the team to Brazil next year on the away goals rule after an earlier 3-2 defeat in Ouagadougou.

All across Algeria people poured into the streets to celebrate the so-called Desert Fighters' first qualification for the World Cup finals, with young men driving their cars down the streets and honking their horns.

Five fans were killed when a van slid off the road into a ravine in the mountain town of Bejaia, east of Algiers, while four others died in the southern city of Biskra in a car accident, officials said.

Three more died in other towns, although no further details were provided.

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Derbyshire House Fire: Four People Killed

Two women and two boys have died in a house fire in Derbyshire, police have confirmed.

A third child, a seven-year-old girl, is in hospital with minor injuries after escaping into the back garden.

The fire broke out at an address on Williamthorpe Road in North Wingfield, a village about four miles south of Chesterfield.

Police said they were still working to identify the victims and told reporters it was too early to say what caused the fire.

Four people were "rescued" by firefighters but later died

 Kam BasiKKamKamKam Basi from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews rescued four people after they were called to the scene at 5am.

Chief Inspector Rick Gooch, of Derbyshire Police, added: "I can confirm that two women and two young children were taken to hospital (where they were) pronounced dead.

"I can also confirm that a seven-year-old girl survived the fire and has minor injuries consistent with smoke inhalation."

Police and the fire service are now investigating the cause of the fire, with Mr Basi saying that particular attention was being paid to the first floor.

Sky News correspondent Gerard Tubb, who is at the scene, said the house showed little sign of fire damage from the outside apart from "smoke-blackened windows".

"They (investigators) won't say whether or not they are looking at this as a suspicious fire, although the suggestion is quite possibly not," he said.

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Lottery Couple Divorce: £148m Bayfords Split

Top 10 National Lottery Winners

Updated: 7:29am UK, Wednesday 05 December 2012

1. Colin and Chris Weir: £161,653,000

The Scottish husband and wife said they were "tickled pink" after becoming Europe's biggest lottery winners in July 2011. The couple have reportedly bought a fleet of cars for friends since their win, as well as a mansion.

2. Adrian and Gillian Bayford: £148,656,000

The couple, from Suffolk, decided to go public after scooping nearly £150m on the EuroMillions August 10 draw.

Mr Bayford said he would carry on running his music shop in Haverhill. Mrs Bayford, a children's ward healthcare assistant at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, said she would treat herself to her dream car, an Audi Q7.

3. Anonymous: £113,019,926

One British ticket scooped the massive prize on October 2010 but decided not to go public.

4. Dave and Angela Dawes: £101,203,600

The Cambridgeshire husband and wife hit the EuroMillions jackpot in October last year. It was only the third time the couple had played the lottery.

5. Anonymous: £84,451,320

The haul was won in May 2010 but the winner kept their identity secret.

6. Nigel Page: £56,008,113

Self-confessed white van man Nigel Page took home the win in February 2010. The skydiving enthusiast, who lived in a three-bedroom semi near Cirencester, Wiltshire, married his girlfriend Justine and moved into a mansion in the Cotswolds.

7. Anonymous: £46,432,285

A British ticket scooped the massive prize in February this year but also decided not to go public.

8. Les and Sam Scadding: £45,570,835

Unemployed mechanic Les Scadding and his wife Sam from South Wales bought one of two winning tickets which shared a £90m jackpot in November 2009. The other £45m-winning ticket was bought by a syndicate of seven office workers based in Merseyside. They each banked £6.5m.

9. Cassey Carrington: £45,160,170

The 22-year-old from Nottingham banked the staggering total after matching all five numbers and two Lucky Stars in a EuroMillions draw in February this year. The Iceland store supervisor said she planned to marry painter fiancee Matt Topham this September.

10. Gareth and Catherine Bull: £40,627,241

The Mansfield husband and wife scooped the bumper prize in January this year. Mr Bull, a self-employed builder, said he planned to splash out on an executive box at Manchester United and a new carpet.

His wife said she might go back to her job as a health insurance worker. The couple also said they planned to take their two sons, aged nine and 10, to Florida's Disneyland.

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Ferry Firm Rescues 'Too Fat To Fly' Frenchman

A ferry company has stepped in to help a 32-stone Frenchman who was told he was too heavy to board a plane or a Eurostar train.

Kevin Chenais was left stranded in Britain after being banned from travelling through the Channel Tunnel on the grounds he posed a safety risk.

But ferry firm P&O said it would transport the 22-year-old back across the English Channel on its Spirit of Britain vessel.

A P&O spokesman said: "We're delighted to help. It's not difficult for us.

"We're used to carrying ambulances across the Channel, so we're set up for this type of thing.

"It's difficult to imagine the frustration that this gentleman has gone through. But for us, it's very straight-forward as we're set up to carry people who have medical needs."

Mr Chenais' travel problems began when he was left stuck in the United States after British Airways refused to carry him on his return ticket. In the end, Virgin Atlantic flew him into London.

P&O said it was "delighted" to help Mr Chenais

But Mr Chenais, who uses a mobility scooter, then encountered more difficulties when trying to travel to France when Eurostar declined to transport him because of safety regulations.

A spokesman for Eurostar said: "This is a terrible situation.

"Our heart goes out to Mr Chenais and his family who are understandably desperate to return home after being stranded in America.

"Unfortunately, there was no question that he would have been able to travel with Eurostar as we must observe very strict safety rules which govern travel through the Channel Tunnel.

"Those provisions require that all passengers are able to be evacuated into the Channel Tunnel in the event of an emergency.

"As a consequence of Mr Chenais's immobility, this would simply not have been possible and would have posed a safety risk to himself, our crew and all of the other passengers on board.

"We simply cannot ignore these safety regulations, nor would we want to."

A British Airways statement said: "We will always try to accommodate someone if it's possible and safe to do so.

"Our customer service team worked diligently to find a solution and have exhausted all options."

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Co-Op: Cameron Pledges Flowers Inquiry

David Cameron has said there will be an inquiry into the appointment of the disgraced Methodist minister Paul Flowers as chairman of the Co-operative Bank.

The Prime Minister told the House of Commons there were "a lot of questions that have to be answered" about Mr Flowers' time at the head of the bank for three years.

Mr Flowers is under investigation by police after being filmed allegedly buying and using illegal drugs including crystal meth, crack cocaine and ketamine - a horse tranquilliser used as a party drug.

Police raided the home of Mr Flowers in Bradford on Tuesday amid the deepening scandal over his appointment to the bank and his association with the Labour party.

It came as it was disclosed that Mr Flowers had resigned as a Bradford councillor in 2011 after inappropriate adult material was found on his computer.

The Mail On Sunday filmed Mr Flowers allegedly buying drugs

On Tuesday the Co-op boss Len Wardle resigned with immediate effect because he had led the board that appointed Mr Flowers.

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Cameron said: "The Chancellor will be discussing with the regulators what is the appropriate form of inquiry to get to the bottom of what went wrong here.

"But there are clearly a lot of questions that have to be answered. Why was Rev Flowers judged suitable to be chairman of a bank? Why weren't alarm bells ringing earlier, particularly by those who knew?

"I think it will be important in the coming days that if anyone does have information they stand up and provide it to the authorities."

He added: "The first priority is to safeguard this bank and to make sure that it is safeguarded without using taxpayers' money."

There are questions over what Ed Balls knew about Mr Flowers' resignation

Mr Flowers has apologised for doing things that were "stupid and wrong" in relation to the drugs claims - but has not elaborated.

Labour Party leader Ed Miliband is also under pressure over when he and shadow chancellor Ed Balls knew that Mr Flowers had resigned as a councillor in Bradford after adult material was found on his computer.

In a letter to Mr Miliband, Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps wrote: "Was your shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, aware of this when he accepted £50,000 to fund his personal office?

"When you met Mr Flowers on 6 March, 2013, did you discuss the £1.2 million loan agreement that the Labour Party entered into with the Co-operative bank, just weeks later?"

Mr Shapps also challenged Mr Miliband to give details of his private meetings with the minister and explain what advice the former Co-op chairman gave as a member of Labour's business advisory group.

Mr Flowers has also been accused of incompetence and resigned his post as chair in June after a £1.5bn black hole was discovered in its finances.

Mr Flowers was criticised for a stumbling performance in front of MPs

The bank found a massive gap following the purchase of Britannia Building Society in 2009 and abortive attempts to take on hundreds of Lloyds branches.

It now faces a rescue which will see 50 branches close and investors including US hedge funds take control of 70% of the business.

During an appearance before the Commons Treasury committee earlier this month, Mr Flowers stumbled over basic facts and figures relating to the bank.

He was also pressed on whether he had approved the £50,000 donation to Mr Balls while a member of the bank's board.

"My recollection is that we paid for a particular researcher to assist the shadow chancellor in the work that he needed to do, and that we believed to be a legitimate and proper use of resources," he replied.

Co-operative group chairman Len Wardle has resigned over the scandal

A spokesman for Mr Balls said: "The Co-op Group, not the bank, donated £50,000 to the shadow chancellor's office, which was declared in the normal way at the time.

"Ed (Balls) has never discussed the donation with Paul Flowers. Ed's been to a few events which Rev Flowers has also been at, but he's never had a meeting or phone conversation with him."

It has also emerged that the Methodist minister was convicted of gross indecency in 1981, reportedly over a sex act in a public toilet.

A church spokesman said that at the time he went through the "usual procedures" before being allowed to continue in his role. He is currently suspended from his role as minister.

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Shorter .UK Web Address To Replace Some Sites

New .uk web addresses are to be introduced next summer as an alternative to .co.uk and .org.uk domains.

Nominet, the non-profit organisation in charge of the naming system, says bringing in the shorter suffix is the biggest change for years.

The domain name can be used in addition to or instead of an existing address.

Those who already have a .co.uk or .org.uk site will get first refusal for a period of five years.

Brand new .uk web addresses, where there is no existing equivalent, will be given out on a first-come first-served basis.

Where one person owns the .org.uk domain name and another owns the .co.uk, priority will go to the owner of the .co.uk site.

Nominet had scrapped the plans amid concerns that .uk domains would be confusing for some users but is now going ahead with the scheme.

The new domains will cost £3.50 per year for one-year registrations and £2.50 per year for multi-year registrations.

Many countries already have a similar system, including France, which uses the .fr extension, and Germany, where websites are given the .de suffix.

It was also announced last week that London is to get its own web suffix.

The number of generic top-level domains, such as.com and .org, is set to expand massively from 22 to more than 1,400.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) agreed the move last month, saying it wanted to "promote global innovation, competition and consumer choice".

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The Housemartins Spurn Cameron's Praises

The Prime Minister is fast turning in to the least popular groupie in town.

David Cameron has been spurned by another of his musical heroes after praising the work of The Housemartins in the House of Commons.

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron hailed the1980s band while congratulating Hull on being made the UK's next City of Culture.

He said: "And of course in terms of popular music Hull has a fantastic record, I remember, some years ago that great Housemartins' album which was London 0 Hull 4".

His comments were not, it seems, well-received.

The band's former lead singer, Paul Heaton, immediately took to Twitter telling fans: "Well, apparently David Cameron likes London 0 Hull 4. Which part of the attack on his policies and rich friends did he like best???"

The singer, who led the left-wing Humberside band until they split up in 1988, added: "When I took over my pub in Salford, the first people I barred was Cameron and (George) Osborne. That ban still stands."

He then tweeted Labour MP Tom Watson: "Cameron has ruined my day ... Thought you guys were in there to shut him up?" before linking to a video of an interview in which he criticised former prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Morrissey said he was uneasy afer Cameron described himself as a fan

It is not the first time Mr Cameron's advances have been so brutally rebuffed.

Two years ago, after Mr Cameron had disclosed he was a fan of The Smiths, Morrissey described his unease with such a following saying it was a "moral issue" because the Prime Minister had hunted stag.

The band's guitarist Johnny Marr pulled no punches banning Mr Cameron from being a fan.

In 2010 the drummer of Keane said he was "horrified" after the Conservative party played the band's  2004 song Everybody's Changing at their manifesto launch.

At the Conservative Party Conference in 2011 Home Secretary Theresa May angered the rock band Primal Scream by walking off after her speech to their song Rocks.

The band pointed out that the lyrics – "Dealers keep dealin'/Thieves keep thievin'/Whores keep whorin'/Junkies keep scorin'." – were inappropriate in the circumstances and stressed that they were wholly opposed to the Coalition Government.

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Two People Trapped After Buses Crash

Firefighters are attempting to release a teenage girl and a man who are both trapped following a crash involving two buses.

More follows...

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